Kremlin criticizes US ban on Kaspersky software, calling it unfair competition

MOSCOW, June 21 (Reuters) – The Kremlin condemned the U.S. decision to ban the sale of Kaspersky Lab’s software, calling it a typical Washington move aimed at stifling foreign competition with U.S. products.

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On Thursday, the Biden administration announced a ban on the sale in the United States of antivirus software made by Russian company Kaspersky Lab, citing the Kremlin’s influence over the company as a significant security risk.

In announcing the ban, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said: “Russia has demonstrated that it has the capacity and…intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize information personal lives of Americans. »

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded by saying that Kaspersky was a “very competitive” company in international markets and that Washington’s move was a “favored technique of unfair competition by the United States.”

Kaspersky, which indicated it would pursue legal options to preserve its operations, argued that the U.S. decision was not based on “a comprehensive assessment of the integrity of Kaspersky’s products and services” and maintained that its activities did not threaten the national security of the United States. The company also said it was privately run and had no ties to the Russian government.